The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-07
Apes as Workers.

II was reported by telegraph the other
day that Mr.. Parkes, farmer at Kings
ton, in Kentucky, had succeeded in
training seven large monkeys or apes to
work in his hemp fields, and to break and
prepare the hemp for market Mr..
Parkes, according to the dispatch, has
found that they do the work more rap
idly and better than the negroes, and at
one quarter the cost. The apes, it is
said, were sent to him by brother in
Africa, who had seen. them put to similar
uses there, aud Mr.. Parkes is so we'll
satisfied with the results of his expert.
ments that he has ordered ten more of
the animals.
Whether this particular story be true
or false, there is no doubt that more
docile and intelligent of apes have been
instructed to perform work very like
that to which Mr.. ...Parkes is said.to have
trained his seven monkeys after four
months of patient tuition. Nine. Gle.
mence Roger, in recent article in the
Revue Scienti6que on the mental faculties
of monkeys, shows that they sre we'll
adapted for some kinds of domestic off.
ces and acquit themselves gracefully in
them. Shecites cases where they have
been made exceeding useful in field and
other work. Pyrard, the French traveller
of two centuries ago, sLys that in his
time coloDists of Sierra Leone employed
chimpapzees in carrying water and beat.
ing of mortars, and Breton has in his
Chinese pictures representation of
monkeys gathering tea leaves on the tops
of one of the steep ridges of Chansung.
The ancient Egyptians, too, obtained
considerable services from the cynoceph-
alus, or variety of baboon, an animal so
remarkable for its intelligence that it
was selected by them as the symbol Of
intellect. Button describes female
chimpanzee at Loango which could make
the beds, sweep the house, and help turn
the spit. Houzeau expresses the opinion
that these female monkeys would make
excellent nurses for children, their milk
being exceedingly rich in butter.
Nine. Roger, therefore, comes to the
conclusion that time is coming "when
these races, bred by man, will render
great services in daily life and industry,
and will contribute to the general pro.
gress." There is nothing in such pre-.
diction, she continues, which does not rest
on scientific premises, and nothing in it
to laugh at, after the manner Of the smart
young men who are now getting up funny
articles on Mr.. Parkes' experiment.
The ape is unquestionably the most
intelligent and the most manlike of the
lower animals, both physically and men.
tally and morally. He may be far away
from the superior races of men in intel.
lect, but the difference between him and
the lower races is much less marked.
The black chimpanzee of Africa have
feasts like those of the negroes. They
live in communities, fight in concert, and
care for their wounded. They are very
clever in the use of their hands and arms,
throwing stones better than street boys.
Bufon's black chimpazee knew how to
unlock door, and if he did not find the
key in tho lock, would hunt for it. The
Monkey took its meals like well.bred
person, ate with spoon and fork, used
a plate, aud served itself with wine. In
one of her letters from the Malay PENN.
sula, Miss Bird describes a dinner to
which she was invited, and at which her
companions were two apes. "The apes
had their curry, chutney, pine apple,
eggs, and bananas on porcelain, and so
had T." writes the enterprising lady, who
speaks of another ape, which was an
important member Of the family of the
British resident Klang, as walking on
its hind legs, and going along quietly by
her side like a human escort. It had not
even rudimertary tail, and when it sat
with its arms folded it looked like "a
gentlemanly person in close fitting
suit"
The worst defect of monkeys is that
they are inveterate thieves. They look
upon stealing as fun, and therefore
will pilfer even when they have
no desire for what they take. Nine.
Roger tells us that "they are capable of
sacking house and carrying off every.
thing movable in it with the system and
concert of band of robbers. They OBJ
serve kind of discipline in their opera.
tions, and post their scouts to inform
them in season when it is time to run
away" The mokeys in Sumatra, accord.
to Cesare Moreno, steal fruits and vegeta-
bles from gardens, and will plunder
| ho uses. Forming line, in order to
pass their spoils from hand to hand, they
scale the walls, enter at the doors or
windows, and leisurely pillage all they
can find" They are also very greedy,
and will get tipsy when they have the
chance, and a drunken ape seems more
like man than ever.
| If therefore, Nine. Rogers prediction
is verified that the time is coming when
apes will be added to the industrial force,
it will probably become necessary to
/ increase our police protection, unless
pious education shall succeed in conquer.
ing the natural depravity of the monkeys.
IN. Y. Sun.
Restlessness That Ruins Homes.
Thousands Of farmers every year leave
pleasant homes in the older settled States